Nelly Korda claims victory at LPGA season debut following cancellation of final round.
ORLANDO, Fla. — Nelly Korda secured her first victory in 14 months without needing to play a shot on Sunday, as the LPGA Tour shortened the season-opening Tournament of Champions to 54 holes due to adverse weather conditions that rendered Lake Nona unfit for the final round.
Korda achieved seven wins in 2024 but did not claim any titles in 2025.
She recorded an impressive 8-under 64 on Saturday, a remarkable performance that was approximately nine strokes better than the average score in frigid temperatures and winds reaching nearly 40 mph. Korda remarked that it ranked among the top three rounds she has ever played.
Korda completed her round just before the LPGA suspended the third round when wind displaced Youmin Hwang’s golf ball from the 17th green. The final two holes were particularly vulnerable to the elements.
The LPGA had intended to finish the third round on Sunday morning and proceed with the final round, but temperatures in Central Florida remained below freezing, with strong winds and hard ground conditions persisting.
The LPGA announced that the forecast for Monday was similarly unfavorable and opted to limit the event to 54 holes.
Korda concluded the tournament at 13-under 203, marking her 16th career win. She was practicing on the putting green and driving range even though her victory was nearly guaranteed when the LPGA decided to cancel the final round.
“Today was nerve-wracking,” Korda stated. “Not knowing what the outcome would be while trying to maintain the mindset for 18 holes, especially knowing it would be challenging. I was focused on staying in that mindset.”
Amy Yang was at 10 under with two holes remaining when the third round resumed, needing a birdie and to finish with a full shot over the last two holes. She made par on the par-3 17th, concluding the tournament. Yang finished with par-par for a 69, securing second place.
Brooke Henderson, who shot a 66 on Saturday, finished in third place.
Weather issues are uncommon in Orlando, aside from rain. This cold front with high winds was unexpected. The LPGA had planned to start at 10 a.m., but the schedule was delayed multiple times until the final round was canceled, and the third round did not resume until around 2 p.m.
“We spoke with several players during their warm-up,” said Ricki Lasky, the tour’s chief business and operations officer. “The ground was hard, affecting the trajectory of their shots. We took as much time as possible to attempt to complete all 72 holes. We did everything within our power.”
The LPGA permitted the celebrity segment of the tournament to continue but limited it to nine holes. The LPGA noted that it was an exhibition utilizing modified Stableford scoring, where no participant could score worse than double bogey. Former tennis player Mardy Fish triumphed in the celebrity portion of the event.
Hwang made an 18-foot putt on the 17th hole Saturday, but the right-to-left wind caused her ball to veer toward a ridge and off the green, resulting in a triple bogey. She finished with a par for a score of 73, tying for fifth place.
Korda will now take a six-week break, indicating that she will again skip the entire Asia swing.
